Fallon's Town Talk: Scorching July takes its place in pantheon of sweltering summers
Sizzling temperatures were recorded in County Roscommon this year. Pic: iStock
A strange substance fell from the sky last Sunday. It turned out to be a rare phenomenon called rain. The sweltering July weather had been fading for the last week anyway but it was still a jolt to have sustained rainfall. Given the wildfires raging in France, Spain and elsewhere throughout Europe, we won’t be complaining about rain arriving…not for a while anyway.
While the month just gone narrowly missed out on matching the longest-lasting heatwave in Irish history, it was a scorcher. In fairness, July 2026 only missed out on equalling the record set in 1976 by half of one degree. This year will take its place in the pantheon of famous Irish heatwaves such as 1976, 1995 and 2018.
2013 never gets mentioned in the same category but it was glorious. It sticks with me because it was the first time our children could use paddling pools after a series of dreary summers.
What has changed is how much hotter the weather is getting. We can recall the heatwaves of the past because they were so rare. Since 2022, the summers are melding into one as they are uniformly warm. July wasn’t hectic last year but August was terrific.
The blazing sunshine enticed us to embark on journeys in Ireland. On one of those trips I noticed in a newsagent’s that ‘Ireland’s Own’ and the ‘Sacred Heart Messenger’ were on sale. There were small stacks of both magazines which suggested the shop was expecting reasonable sales.
Seeing those publications was similar to when certain sights or sounds propel us back in time until “the glamour of childish days is upon me,” as DH Lawrence once wrote. It is akin to the smell of freshly-cut silage or, more evocatively, hay – something that was also frequent this summer.
Anyway, seeing ‘Ireland’s Own’ prompted me to do research as I couldn’t recall when I last read it. One of its chief selling points was tales of Kitty The Hare or other shadowy wandering figures from the past who told ghost stories which were satisfyingly terrifying.
It also contained terrific factual stories about major figures from Irish history. It was only when the late Michael Lyster died that I found out he was a contributor to the magazine.
‘Ireland’s Own’ has been on the go since 1902. In line with modern trends, its circulation has more than halved since its heyday in the 1970s. Nonetheless, its Christmas annual has a circulation of approximately 70,000 which is highly impressive.
The ‘Sacred Heart Messenger’ is one of the most enduring examples of the religious magazines that were once an integral part of the reading material in many households, on a par with the local and daily newspapers and The Farmer’s Journal.
The public appetite for magazines like ‘Africa’, ‘The Far East’ and ‘The Word’ which was published by the Divine Word Missionaries in Donamon was huge. Most people knew a priest or a nun who was “on the missions” and were anxious to read about what was happening on far-flung foreign fields. If a picture appeared of a familiar face ministering in Africa, Asia or South America it was major news. For the children, the highlight was reading Pudsy Ryan, a fictional schoolboy who wrote a column in ‘The Far East’ and whose Olympian feats of misspelling were legendary.
The schoolchildren of the 1970s were unlikely foot soldiers in helping circulation. Often, religious magazines would be dropped into primary schools and the children would drop them into their neighbours who were subscribers. It was a great distribution network and a throwback to a very different Ireland.
Roscommon ladies footballers don’t play in Croke Park too often, but when they do, they play as if to the manor born. While Roscommon narrowly lost a junior final in 1998, when they returned in 2001, they produced a magnificent performance to romp to a 12-point victory.
It took 25 years for Roscommon to get back to an All-Ireland final in Croke Park, but when they did, history repeated itself.
From early on in last Sunday’s final against Fermanagh, Roscommon looked the more assured team. Only the most blinkered Rossie would not feel sorry for Fermanagh goalkeeper Áine Haran who endured two pieces of misfortune on the biggest day of her career. The only consolation for Áine is that even without the two goals, Roscommon would have won. Amazingly, just as in 2001, the winning margin was a dozen points.
The team arrived back in Roscommon Town on Sunday night to a rousing reception. It was the capstone on a marvellous few months for Roscommon ladies football.
